Poke Festival returns–with all-you-can-eat (or more) Spam

Can you wolf down more than 14 Spam musubi in 3 minutes? No? Then you might want to stick to sampling the raw tuna concoction known as ahi poke at this Saturday’s 10th annual Poke Festival at the San Francisco Hukilau restaurant. The free Hawaiian-style block party at 5 Masonic Ave. includes live entertainment, judging of poke presentations by top Bay Area restaurateurs and a Spam musubi eating contest, “won” last year by Alex Quiroga of Sausalito, who ingested 14 of the island snack bomb.

The real winners, I think, are those come to enjoy the Hawaiian music and hula — this year the Aloha Spirit Band kicks the festival off at noon, while Mango Kingz cap events with a 5 p.m. show — and particularly the poke contest, from 3to 4:30 p.m.. Defending champion Rob Lam from Butterfly will compete against chefs from Slanted Door, Ozumo, the Attic, Mercury, Pacific Catch (the 2010 runner-up) and others; last year, two of the judges were chosen from the crowd of some 600 attendees, along with a celebrity guest judge. Hukilau will also offer Hawaii-themed food and drink specials and prizes throughout the day.

And if you can’t make it to the event, be sure to check out the comments after last year’s events for Hawaii Insider readers’ preferred sources for poke.